Decoding and display means



Aug. 28, 1962 J. T. MONANEY' DECODING AND DISPLAY MEANS 9 8 4 l I I 5 r M [6 6 w 3 fiillo L O 4 I 5 2 6A llilllklIlll .A w w mg i Tl fl 4 4 3 3 E I w d 9 r O 5 Z 5\ 9 l 4 6 m O t w 4 5 x 5 4 .1. 5 m 6 o d e n 8 F 5 'INVENTOR.

JOSEPH T. M NANEY Aug. 28, 1962 J. 'r. MONANEY 3,

DECODING AND DISPLAY MEANS Filed Sept. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9O DISPLAY RECEIVER SERIES TO PARALLEL CODE CONVERTER TRANSMITTER BINARY CODE GENERATOR INVENTOR. JQS'EPH 7." MWANEV 3,651,857 Patented Aug. 28, 1962 3,051,867 DECODING AND lDlSlPLAY MEANS Joseph T. McNaney, La Mesa, Calitl, assignor to General Dynamics Corporation, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 840,851 9 Claims. (Cl. 315-85) This invention relates generally to an improved means for decoding and indicating predetermined coded information, in an intelligible visual display.

More particularly, the improved means includes a cathode ray tube capable of shaping the cross section of its electron beam, and in response to the coded information, selecting one of such shapes for display upon the tube screen of the cathode ray tube.

This invention improves upon that of Thomas H. Tatham, In, U.S. Patent No. 2,829,302, assigned to the common assignee hereof. The improvement of the instant invention includes a unique deflection system or means which is readily adaptable to utilization with computer code outputs, such as binary code for example.

Generally, the invention includes a shaped beam tube construction such as is shown in my U.S. Patent No. 2,761,988. The shaped beam tube in accordance therewith is capable of providing a symbolic or character display upon its screen. The operating tube displays symbols or characters upon its screen in response to a predetermined actuating code. U.S. Patent No. 2,829,302 generally shows the broad concept of utilizing deflection plates having a predetermined weighted potential thereupon, in a particular combination to select one character [from a group of a plurality of characters for display on the screen of the tube. The present invention includes a deflection system which utilizes electrostatic deflection plates within the shaped beam tube. The electrostatic plates are capable of generating a predetermined field intensity between each pair of plates. A plurality of pairs of such plates is provided which is capable of providing field intensities which vary with the geometric progression, for example 1:2:4. Of course, it is possible touse geometric progressions other than that exemplified and still be within the inventive concept disclosed herein.

Through the use of a plurality of pairs of plates, which pairs are of diflerent area, or width, the field intensity influencing the shaped beam may be varied. It is possible to provide many combinations of varying deflection influence upon the beam by use of various combinations of said pair of plates.

It is therefore an object of this invention, in addition to the aforestated objects and advantages, to provide an improved means capable of decoding a predetermined code and substantially, simultaneously therewith indicating as a symbol or character the display of the decoded equivalent.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cathode ray tube construction which is capable of decoding any number of desired codes into any number of desired predetermined displays of symbols or characters.

It is another object of the invention to provide a relatively simple and trouble-free improved means capable of decoding substantially directly a considerable number of different code groupings into corresponding character displays.

It is another object of the invention to provide a construction wherein multiposition deflection of the beam is effected by substantially coplanar deflection, and thus produces minimal misregistration.

Objects and advantages other than those set forth above will be apparent when read in connection with the accompanying specification and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a cathode ray tube embodying the inventive construction;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the deflection system or means shown in FIGURE 1, the deflection means being shown partly in perspective;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic showing of an exemplary overall system including a distributor for operating a plurality of cathode ray tubes with the invention shown in FIGURE 1; converting codes into signals directly influencing the deflection systems of a serial array of display tubes.

Referring more particularly to FIGURE 1, we have exemplified a cathode ray tube 10. Cathode ray tube 10 may, if desired, be a cathode ray tube capable of generating characters such as the shaped beam tube shown in my U.S. Patent No. 2,761,988. This type of tube construction is exemplified herein.

Positioned at one end of tube 16' is means 12 for generating and projecting an electron beam 14 generally along an electro-optical axis 15 of the tube 10. The beam generating and projecting means 12 provides electron beam 14, which beam 14, through the lens action of electrodes 16 and 17, expands the cross section of the beam 14 sufliciently to illuminate the entire character cut-out area of a beam shaping member 19. Member 19 is also referred to herein as means intercepting the beam for shaping the electron beam into a multicharacter shaped beam 20.

As is shown in FIGURE 1, the multicharacter shaped beam 29 is reduced in cross section through action of lenses 16 and 17 to a minimal cross section at and along the axis 15. The point 48 (FIGURE 2) of minimal beam cross section is caused to occur on axis and at the electrical center of a deflection means 22. Deflection means 22 has a multicombination of electrostatic deflection plates. Deflection system or means 22 is capable of selectively effecting deflection of the multicharacter shaped beam 20 so as to place one of its selected cross sectional character shapes at an aperture 25 in aperture means or plate 26. As is known in the art, preferably several lenses 28 may be utilized to enlarge the selected character for display as a symbolic display or character upon a target or screen 30 of the tube 10. For a more detailed explanation of elements of tube 10, other than the deflection system or means 22, the construction, connection and operation thereof may be effected in the manner taught in the prior art, such as McNaney U.S. Patent No. 2,761,988.

Deflection system 22 is preferably placed in coaxial disposition with respect to the electro-optical axis 15 and preferably symmetrically longitudinally disposed at and with respect to point W at an apparently common deflection plane and at which plane the shaped beam 20' is of minimal cross section. Deflection system 22 comprises a plurality of pairs of electrostatic plates. Therefore, of course, the physical as well as the electrical center of the combination of plates may be disposed along the axis and at the point 40 of minimal cross section of beam 20 with the axis. However, deflection means 22 may merely generally be positioned adjacent point 40, so that deflection influence upon the beam will act at its minimal cross section to deflect it from the axis of the tube to cause a minimum of misregistration. As the character selected from the multicharacter shaped beam 20 is selected on axis through aperture 25, misregistration is further held to a minimum. It is not absolutely necessary to the operation of the invention, however, that deflection means 22 be at the exact point 40 of minimal beam 20 cross section; merely that its physical and electrical center be generally adjacent thereto.

Deflection means 22 is shown in greater detail in FIG- URE 2. While for purposes of exemplification and explanation the horizontal plates are located in the center of the plate grouping and the vertical plates are split in two groups, each group being disposed adjacent the extremities of the horizontal plates, it should be understood that the vertical plates could supplant the horizontal plates, and the horizontal plates could supplant the vertical plates, by a mere rotation of 90 of the said plates about the axis. Therefore, such interchange of vertical and horizontal plate alignments or combinations is clearly in contemplation of the present invention. Therefore, in the description as well as in the claims, the terms horizontal and vertica are used with the stated understanding that they are interchangeable if rotated as stated. It is necessary to the invention that the vertical plates be in quadrature with the horizontal plates. There are disposed in the exemplification of the invention about the axis 15, three pairs of deflection plates 34, 35 and 36. Plates 34, 35 and 36 are of equal widths along the axis and symmetrically disposed about the axis 15. Plates may be generally symmetrically positioned about the point on axis 15 of beam cross section, and are equally spaced with plates 34 and 36 from the axis. The point 40 on axis -15 represents the common plane position of the deflection means 22. Plates 34, 35 and 36 are capable of providing, intermediate each of said pairs of plates, equal intensity electrostatic deflection fields. Each of the plates utilized in 34, 35 and 36 may be of a predetermined length and a predetermined width, the same for each. As this is so, each plate of the pair of plates has a predetermined deflection capability. When connected in an operable system, therefore, plates 34 and 36 will provide exactly two times the deflection capability of plates 35.

Two pairs of plates 42, 44 are provided, which have a plate width twice the width of either plates 34 or 36 and, for example, are shown to be of the same length. Each of the plates therefore has an area twice the predetermined area or deflection capability of plates 34 and 36. One pair of each of the two pairs 42, 44, is positioned about the axis 15 and uniformly spaced apart therefrom in a manner identical to that of the plates 34, 35 and 36. Plates 42, 44 are positioned respectively at each end of the longitudinal extent of the plates 35 to 36. Therefore, the horizontal electrostatic deflection plates 60 include the pairs of plates 34, 35, and 36, 42 and 44. As previously stated, these horizontal plates 60 could be rotated 90 and become the vertical plates, horizontal and vertical being names assigned to aid exemplification, and therefore not to be construed as limitation.

The vertical electrostatic deflection plates 62 are oriented in quadrature with the horizontal deflection plates 60 and include plates of varying widths to vary the sure face area of influence of each pair of the plates, thereby achieving the variation of field intensity desired in accordance with its area variance. Of course, it is assumed that potentials impressed upon the plates of 60, 62 would be predetermined and of similar magnitudes. Positioned immediately out-board and longitudinally spaced apart from each of the extremities of the horizontal plates, are pairs of plates 48, 50. Plates 48, have a width equal to that of the predetermined width of plates 42 and 44. Disposed adjacent and immediately outboard of plates 48, 50, are plates 52, 54, each of which plates 52, 54 has a width the same as the predetermined width of plates 34 to 36. Longitudinally spaced apart from, positioned about, and along the axis 15, as are all the plates, but outboard of plates 52, 54, are plates 56, 53. Plates 56, 58 have a Width one half that of the predetermined Width of the plates 35. The single pair of plates 35 may be thought of as combining two pairs of plates similar to plates 56 and 58.

The horizontal plates 60 are shown grouped together. The vertical plates 62 are grouped into two groups, each group having one half the total deflection capability of the horizontal plates 60. Or, in other words, the two groups of plates 62 have the same total deflection capability as plates 60. Therefore, it can be seen that each of the horizontal deflection plates and the vertical deflection plates 62 comprises two groups of plates varying in a geometric progression of 1:224. In each direction, vertical or horizontal, the plates 60 or 62 can provide eight discrete position coplanar deflection steps. The character matrix or beam shaping member 19 may therefore utilize and have formed therein sixty-four discrete characters. The deflection system 22 is capable of selecting therefrom any one of the sixty-four characters for display upon the screen 30, in response to the particular code.

In the present invention the potential applied to respective pairs of plates remains the same, and the width has been changed in the geometric progression of 122:4, all this to show that the field intensity intermediate the plates varying with the geometric progression 1:2:4 is the desired objective. The plates 60, 62 are uniformly spaced apart from the axis, and are further uniformly spaced apart from each other, so as to constitute a symmetrical unit with respect to the electro-optical axis. However, it should be understood that length, width, area and potential between the plates, could each be varied in order to achieve the field intensity, varying according to a geometric progression, be it 1:2:418 or some other desired progression. Changes in size, as well as disposition of the plates with respect to the beam, are also included in the present invention. The present invention, however, utilizes the concept of achieving geometric progression in the deflection field intensities, so as to select various combinations of the progression to achieve the overall possible numbers of the combinations to be selected.

FIGURE 2 further exemplifies a preferred electrical connection for the plates. When connected in the following manner, the desired coplanar horizontal and vertical beam deflections may be accomplished with the resultant improvement in display registration. Plates 56 and 58 are electrically connected together to provide a deflection of the beam in the vertical direction equivalent to l, of the geometric progression 1:2:4. Plates 52 and 54 are electrically connected, to provide a beam deflection in the vertical direction equivalent to 2, of the geometric progression 1:224. Plates 48 and 50 are electrically connected, to provide a beam deflection in the vertical direction equivalent to 4, of the geometric progression 1:2:4. As previously stated, since plates 35 are centrally located about the common plane of point 40 on axis 15, they may be thought of as combining two separate plates similar to plates 56 and 58. Plates 34 and 36 are electrically connected together, and plates 42 and 44 are likewise electrically connected. The horizontal deflection plate system 60, therefore, will likewise provide deflections of the beam in accordance with the geometric progression 1:2:4. A condenser may connect each of the conductors to ground, or across the respective pairs of plates. The size and value of con denser 65 will determine the storage capacity thereof to achieve any desired time delay action for the purpose of reducing display flicker. This slight additional feature permits a limited storage of information if desired.

In operation, binary code equivalent to decimal values of 1:2:4 may select any one or more of the pairs of plates from the multicombination of plates of the deflection system 22, each combination providing deflection of the beam, to provide a predetermined symbolic display or character.

There is exemplified in FIGURE 3, means 70, which means includes the beam shaping tube, together with its operating circuitry as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The six connections of means 70 are connected to contacts 72 of distributor 75. Additional sets of six contacts per set 90 may be connected to terminals 89 of other display tube means 70, to provide an array of display tubes 70. Wiper arm 76 of distributor 75, together with its plurality of contacts 78, may be rotated in synchronism with and under the control of a motor 80 to energize in a sequential manner a plurality of display tubes 70. The frequency of motor 80 supplied through its conductors 82, is synchronized with a binary code generator 85, and a series to parallel converter 87. Code generator 85 therefore may provide the usual serial code output of a computer, for example, and transmit the serial code to the code converter 87. The code converter 87 in turn will convert the 6-bit serial code in a 6-bit parallel code, and thereafter use said code to energize the deflection means 22, so as to provide coplanar beam deflections in response to the combined effects of the independent electrostatic fields produced thereby.

While code generator 85 and code converter 87 are symbolically shown, further details of their construction and operation may be derived from McNaney US. Patents Nos. 2,736,770, 2,840,637 and 2,850,723. While the construction of FIGURE 3 symbolizes and exemplifies use of a mechanical distributor, together with a code converter and code generator to energize a plurality of means 70, it should be understood, as is well-known in the art, that electrical circuits can replace the distributor. Also, the distributor may be enlarged in capacity by adding circuits and bands to the distributor and contacts to the wiper arms 76, to increase the number of available positions if a greater or different progression is desired, all in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

The particular embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein is illustrative only, and the invention includes such other modifications and equivalents as may readily appear to those skilled in the ant, within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Electron beam selecting apparatus comprising: a cathode ray tube having a faceplate and a single axiallypositioned aperture in the vicinity thereof; means for forming a cone-like bundle of convergent electron beams, each said beam having an individual cross section; means for causing coded signals to direct selected beams of said bundle along the axis of said tube to traverse said axiall positioned aperture at the same angle and impinge on the same area of said faceplate, said last means comprising, a coplanar deflection system having elements symmetrically positioned about a point, and weighted in deflection ability in accordance with said code; and means for applying equal-amplitude signals to selected elements of said coplanar deflection system-whereby said selected beams produce light patterns that provide aligned messages on a recording medium.

2. Electron beam selecting apparatus comprising: a cathode ray tube having a faceplate and a single axiallypositioned aperture in the vicinity thereof; means for forming bundle of incoming convergent eectron beams, each said beam having a cross section individual unto itself; means for causing coded signals to direct selected beams of said bundle along the axis of said tube to traverse said axially-positioned aperture and impinge on the same area of said faceplate; and means for applying equal-amplitude signals to said last means.

3. The combination comprising: a cathode ray tube having an axis and a single axially-positioned aperture; means for forming a conical bundle of electron beams which converge on said axis at a given point intermediate said aperture and said beam forming means; and beam selecting means responsive to equal-amplitude signals for selectively directing only one of said beams along the axis of said tube to traverse said axially-positioned aperture at the same angle.

4. In a cathode ray tube having a conical bundle of electron beams which converge on the axis at a given point, the improvement comprising: a coplanar deflection system having the elements thereof weighted in deflection ability in accordance with a given code, said deflection system being positioned so that the common plane of deflections of the system intersects said axis at said given pointwhereby selected said beams of said bundle may be directed along the axis of said tube and means for individually energizing said elements in accordance with the code signal corresponding in significance with the weighted value of the energized element.

5. In a cathode ray tube, the improvement comprising: a weighted deflection system having a single fixed deflection point for both the horizontal and vertical deflections, said deflection system comprising horizontal and vertical deflection means each of which comprises elements which are weighted in deflection ability for a given magnitude energizing signal, the weighting being in accordance with a predetermined code, said horizontal and vertical deflection means and the elements thereof being so positioned that correspondingly weighted elements of said vertical deflection means are symmetrically placed with respect to said fixed deflection point and correspondingly weighted elements of said horizontal deflection means are also symmetrically placed with respect to said fixed deflection point.

6. In a cathode ray display tube including an evacuated envelope, a beam generating means placed adjacent one end of the envelope for generating the cone-like bundle of convergent electron beams, a target positioned at the other end of the envelope and responding to the impingement of the beam thereon, an aperture positioned on the electrical axis of said tube in proximity to said target, a deflection system which is responsive to discrete coded signals applied thereto for deflecting the electron beams, the deflection system being disposed substantially symmetrically about the electrical axis and being interposed between said aperture and said beam generating means, said deflection system comprising first, second and third groups of deflection plates, said second and third groups being disposed in substantially orthogonal spaced relationship with respect to said first group of plates, said second and third groups being disposed on opposite sides of said first group, means for electrically interconnecting said second and third groups of plates, said first group of plates comprising a plurality of pairs of plates which are weighted in deflection ability for a given magnitude energizing signal applied thereto, the weighting being in accordance w th a predetermined code, said pairs of plates being arranged so that pairs of plates of equal deflection ability are symmetrically arranged with respect to a plane which is normal to said electrical axis at a given point, said given point coinciding with the cross over point of said bundle of convergent beams in the absence of signals being applied to said deflection system.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said second and third groups of plates each comprise a plurality of pairs of plates which are weighted in deflection ability for a given magnitude energizing signal applied thereto, the weighting being in accordance With a predetermined code, said pairs of plates of said second and third groups being arranged so that correspondingly weighted pairs of plates of said second and third groups are symmetrical- 1y arranged with respect to said plane.

8. The combination of claim 7 further comprising a first plurality of N coded signal input terminals, said second and third groups each containing N pairs of plates, and means for connecting in common correspondingly weighted pairs of said second and third groups of plates and for individually connecting each of said common connected pairs to corresponding ones of said input terminals of said first plurality.

9. The combination of claim 8 further comprising a second plurality of N coded signal input terminals, said first group of plates eflectively comprising 2N pairs of plates which are symmetrically positioned with respect to said plane so that correspondingly weighted pairs of plates are equidistant from said plane and means for connecting each of said common connected pairs to corresponding ones of said input terminals of said second plurality.

Strobel July 7, 1942 Snyder July 22, 1947 10 8 Parker Dec. 28, Potter Mar. 14, Orr Dec. 28, Gallagher Jan. 29, Tompkins Aug. 6, McNaney Oct. 29, Tatham Apr. 1, Adler Sept. 1, Mollen NOV. 3, Kompfner Apr. 19, 

